Blue Eyes White Dragon
by ZeroCoolDemon
Summary: Where did Seto find out about the blue eyes white dragon? It has shaped his entire life. Joey & Seto are unaware of the fact that they have met once before. Seto is impossible to talk to,but they keep running into each other,esp when Joey becomes desperate and needs help to track his card. Follows the anime world but no extensive dueling.YAOI.
1. Chapter 0

It's here. It's finally freakin' here. Waited literal ages for this: My YuGiOh fic starring:

_**Seto (18) x Joey (16)**_

It's funny how something as simple as publishing a story here would take forever. I was planning to bring this out a looong time ago (2 years?) –better late than never, I guess. Anyhow, I'm excited for this couple—I hope I can keep this up. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh, or any of its characters**.

_**Chapter 0: Prologue**_

Eight-year-old Joey was walking around the neighborhood when he stumbled upon an orphanage. The small gate to the orphanage was open and he could see the empty front yard with swings on the right side and a sandbox on the left. He leisurely entered, surveying the area. '_A daycare?'_

Ten-year-old Seto needed some fresh air and opened the door to the front yard. He reckoned sitting on the swings by himself would help clear his mind. The kid was surprised to see a blond kid standing by the swings already. '_I don't think I've seen him before…_' Unfortunately for him, the other boy spotted him and automatically approached him.

"Hi." Joey casually greeted the slightly taller kid. The brunette wasn't looking to make friends, so only studied him. "Is this a daycare?"

"It's an orphanage." Seto rolled his eyes. Clearly this kid was younger than him.

"Oh…what's that?"

"Are you serious? Where did you from?" The brunette blurted. He was definitely not from the orphanage. Seto eyed him from top to bottom, his appearance was plain: a white T-shirt and blue shorts with messy overgrown blond hair—but very warm brown eyes.

For the sake of a conversation, Joey imposed, "Are you in 't card games?"

"Does it look like I have time for that?"

"It's really cool! I only have a few cards but they're all dragons!" Joey wasn't listening and instead shuffled his pockets to see if he could provide some proof. "Oh yeah, I sneaked into one of my mom's family stuff and found this—" His eyes glowed as he pulled out a card. It was a black dragon with bright red eyes.

'_Why should I care again?'_ The brunette thought but curiously stole a glance.

"A red eyes black dragon! Isn't it cool!?" Joey exclaimed in the other's ear.

"…it's all dark and spiky."

"I still think it's superb. I want to get my own red eyes!" The blond threw his fists in the air. "Fine if you don't like it then ya can get a blue eyes. Haha yeah, that sounds better for ya, your eyes are blue too."

"What?" Seto stated like it was a ridiculous idea, since he had never seen such a thing before. It was obvious to him that the kid was making it up on the spot. "How do you even know that such a dragon exists?

"It does! I mean it has 't, don't it? There's always an opposite to everything. Like there's white for black. There has 't be a blue eyes for the red eyes."

"You mean they are supposed to contrast?"

"Yeah, whatever that is."

'_He's a nutcase.' _The brunette decided.

"Okay okay, don't worry, tell ya what, if I ever find it, I'll get it for ya okay? I bet it's a really cool card—blue eyes…uh…oh, white dragon!"

'_White wasn't a bad color especially with blue' _but he had to ask, "Why white?"

"Duh, because I have the black dragon, with red eyes, your dragon must be white with blue eyes." Seto quietly listened to him, slowly drawn into the conversation. '_To think he would talk with a commoner about such a thing as dragons, was a first, but it wasn't that bad, was it?'_ Ever since they came to the orphanage, he hardly had time to let his guard down and relax without worrying about Mokuba. Not to mention his constant need to calculate ways for them to get out of this dump.

"Why are you even here?" Seto asked again.

"Huh? Uh I don't know, I kinda got lost looking for my mom."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know, she just left me there and took my little sister with her—it's been hours already." Joey answered with a pout as he sat on the swing.

"Just go back home then." Seto joined him on the adjacent swing. "You have one, don't you?"

"Yeah… I probably should…" He leaped off the swing. "…um, do you know if there's a bus stop near here?"

"It's a block to the left."

"Okay thanks!" He appreciated. "Now I know which way to go back. See ya! I'll come again to play sometime." And with that, he ran off. '_What a carefree one_.' The brunette snorted from behind.

He stared in that direction until a "nii-chan" caught his attention. He looked down to find Mokuba. "Mokie."

"What is it, big bro?"

"Nothing. Let's go inside, lil' bro." Seto smiled. After all, all he needed was his little brother.

* * *

Joey entered his house, but no one greeted him. The living room was wrecked, and upon further digging he found his dad cursing in the kitchen table.

"Mom?" The blond called out. His mom and sister were still nowhere to be found.

"You're still here? She didn't take you with her?" His dad harped with a frown.

"What? Dad where's mom?"

His father turned his face away in disgust. "Your mom left—dammit!" Joey was never more shocked than when he heard that. He felt frightened but at the same time somewhat expected something like that to occur. His parents were always fighting. He would be the only one to comfort Serenity in his room whenever that did happen. However, now his mom finally decided to leave, huh? And she took serenity with her? Why? She was his only sister! Unknowingly, tears began flowing down his cheeks.

"Dad…"

"Just go to your room kiddo," His dad was evidently frustrated and stressed out. Joey quietly obeyed and went to his room, sobbing away into his blankets as a few loud crashes came from downstairs. But He didn't have the courage to go down and check. The only thing he could do was reach out for that magical dragon card and grip it against his chest, grateful that he sneaked it away.

He and serenity often slept on his bed and just like that he fell asleep without any dinner. In the morning, the house didn't look any different than it did the night before. Papers and things were still roughly scattered all over the place with the addition of a few broken glassware and vases here and there. Joey waltz into the kitchen and found a few sandwiches on the kitchen table but his father was nowhere to be found.

_'Work_?' Well someone had to make money.

* * *

The next day when his dad came home, he declared they were moving out—into a smaller apartment, somewhere on the other side of town. Misfortunately, this place reminded him of his wife too much and that in itself was irritating.

After those days, his dad was never the same again. He was distant and cold. He would make food sometimes but it was simple and packaged. Therefore, Joey had to learn the art of cooking early on to fend for himself and his dad. He also picked up all the chores and the duty to organize all their bills and such.

* * *

Meanwhile, some days along, Seto would peer his head out the window every now and then expecting to see a blond kid again. He told himself it was solely for the sake of gathering more intel on the 'blue eyes white dragon.' He was so drawn to it that he ended up telling Mokie all about the dragon, who also got enthusiastic and vowed to help him find it.

_'Of course, he wouldn't come—that's what they all say._' The brunette suddenly felt like an idiot for caring.

**To Be Continued…**

And there you have it. The seeds have been planted. [about time!]


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer in first chapter.**

_**Chapter 1:**_

Times were tough, moving from apartment to apartment and job to job. Joey was currently in high school and held multiple jobs to assist his dad. Let's just say his dad wasn't the most reliable as of now. However, the blonde always managed to wear a smile and enjoy his friends' company at school. That said, he never missed a day at school.

Joey was bicycling to school one day and was impressed as a glimmering black limo cruised by, rendering him to shift to the side of the road a bit. '_Must be lucky to ride in one of those…_' The teen wowed and continued to stare at one of the black side windows to get a glimpse of who was inside.

Meanwhile inside the vehicle, Seto sat with his little brother, Mokuba. Seto had his eyes shut but happened to glance out the window to find a blond staring at them wide-eyed but unaware of that fact. "Hmph, it's because of idiots like these that accidents occur." The brunette went back to ignoring the world outside. "Speed up, will you." He ordered the driver, who obliged.

Joey noticed them speed up, forcing his eyes back to the road. He also happened to recognize the 'KC' symbol on the rear of the car. '_Ah! Kaiba corp—it's that Kaiba's car! Hmp, rich boy. I bet he looks like a stuck-up spoiled brat.'_ The teen huffed, not knowing who Kaiba was personally but assumed the worst. However, little did he know that Kaiba was the most serious and mature person he'd find.

* * *

"Thanks, Mokuba." Yugi received tickets from the younger Kaiba right outside the school gates.

"Eh, no worries, now we're even." Mokuba grinned.

"But are you sure this was okay…"

"Haha as long as it's between me and you, I don't think Seto would mind free tickets for you guys."

The blond noticed his friend and approached the pair. "Yo, who's the kid? Damn that's some long hair? A girl?" He teased.

"That's certainly one way to greet a person." Mokuba deadpanned.

"A dude actually." Joey held his bag over his shoulder.

"You remind me of an idiot more."

"Hey! Where are ya manners? Shouldn't small boys like you be in grade school?"

"Joey…" Yugi wasn't certain if or when he should intervene.

"Quit calling me small—the name's Mokuba!" The long haired preteen exclaimed.

"Mokuda?"

"Yugi do you know this third-rate character?"

"Haha…" The shorter teen laughed sheepishly. "Yeah he's my friend."

"Excuse you! Third-rate! I'm the main character here!"

"I don't know about that." Mokuba calmly uttered.

"Why you little— ugh forget it." He wasn't going to argue with a kid. (What was he just doing for the past 10 minutes?) The blond smacked both sides of the younger's head instead and ruffled his hair.

"Haha you guys are getting along so well already." Yugi laughed.

"_What_?!" The two yelled out in unison.

"Ow my head, geez why did you do that?" The raven haired kid pulled away and rubbed the sides of his temples.

"Hn? Whaddaya talkin' about? Don't ya have any siblings?" Mokuba gazed back at him perplexed, not following at all.

'_Did siblings do that kind of torture?_' Mokie wondered. "Uh, I do…but we don't do that…"

"Ah! A younger one? Then you should learn and go do it today—It's a bunch of fun."

"No, they're older, way older."

"Tough luck."

"Hey, I like my brother a lot okay! Even if we don't do that weird thing."

"Yeah yeah, I got it lil bro." The elder raised his hands up in defeat.

"Um Joey, actually Mokuba is—" Yugi began to explain the kid's identity but another voice interjected.

"Yo! Joey the man! Did you wait for me?" All of them turned to find Tristen join their circle.

"Nah you just got lucky."

"Oh, hey Mokuba." The brunette acknowledged.

The young Kaiba waved. "Anyhow I gotta run now. See you Yugi."

"Yugi waved goodbye as he watched the kid enter a private car. He then also noticed Tea exiting the school building and smiled. "Looks like the whole gang is here, wanna go somewhere for a bite?" He suggested kindly.

* * *

A couple of days later, Joey walked to Yugi's grandpa's shop. Before entering the shop, it appeared a tall brunette was giving gramps a hard time. The blond was standing at the door and was nearly knocked over when the brunette walked out. '_Whoa…'_ Joey stared back at him and the first thing he noticed—after the ruthless expression—was the silver briefcase he was holding.

"Huh, whoa—Did you just buy a whole brief case of cards?" The words slipped off his tongue on their own accord.

Seto wasn't expecting to be spoken to and it took him a minute to register the inquiry was directed towards him. "Mind your own business." It didn't take him long to lose interest and continue walking again.

"No, seriously though isn't that an obsession?" Apparently, the blond didn't get the message and tailed him.

"Quit talking."

"A piece of advice: increasing the number of cards doesn't make one a better player."

"Spare me the pointless advice." _'Why don't I just ignore him?'_

Joey was intrigued. '_Who would have that many cards? This guy must be good…?_' "Then duel me."

"Excuse me?" '_Was this kid mad?'_

"I've been meaning to challenge my skills and you seem pretty serious about it—"

"Hah. I'll pass. Go find someone else to play _house_ with." The brunette kept on walking.

"Don't tell me you're afraid to lose a _card game_?" At last, Seto swerved around, eyes glowering dangerously.

'_First of all, it wasn't a mere card game. Secondly—_' "—do you even realize who you're speaking to?"

Joey raised a confused brow until he was finally able to take in the brunette's whole form, from top to bottom and registered the 'KC' symbol on his coat. "Wait! Don't tell me…you work for Kaiba Corp?!"

Seto wanted to drop dead at this guy's stupidity. "And don't tell me your middle name is imbecile. I _am_ Kaiba corp."

Joey sought to insult back but shoved the urge aside to simply swallow the fact that this was the CEO of Kaiba Corp. standing before him. He knew all about the corporation, but never had paid much attention to the CEO himself, since for him they lived in completely different worlds. Kaiba smirked when he presumed the other had found his place. "Realized your place mutt?"

Joey growled in response. "No way—bring it on!" '_And a damn arrogant punk too_.' The blond mentally noted.

'_This is straight-out outrageous and ridiculous—What am I even doing here?'_

**5 minutes later: **

One way or the other, the blond teen had managed to convince the other to duel him. Though…he was beginning to regret that decision as he stared at the ground on his hands and knees.

"What an utter waste of time. Be this a lesson to you. I'm sure by now you've realized you're only trash." Kaiba gathered his stuff.

'_Darn it, he had saved his Red Eyes Black Dragon for last…but he didn't even get a chance to whip it out._' He wasn't exactly a weak player but...Dammit Kaiba. Except he couldn't argue since he lost fair and square and admitted his defeat. "We're definitely gonna have a rematch! You hear me!" He called out one last time from behind.

"Un-bel-ieveable."

Tristen was walking from the incoming direction just as the Kaiba Corp. limo drove away from the shop. "Whoa was that Kaiba?"

"You know him too?"

"Who doesn't?" Joey felt like a boulder just hit him in the face. So, was he the only one this ignorant? "Did you guys have a match?"

"Don't mention it."

"No way! He actually cared to fight you?" Tristen was awestruck.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" But the blond never received a response.

"Anyhow you wanna go for some smoothies?"

"Yeah...sure, why not?" The teen sulked.

"Haha cheer up man!"

* * *

When Joey arrived home that evening, the place was an upside mess. '_Ah...shit, I forgot to make lunch this morning in case he decided to come home early. Crap_.' "Uh dad...?" He gingerly crept past the front hall into the living room door until something like a bottle came flying at his head. The teen thanked his quick reflexes and let the wall be the target instead. The glass bottle shattered against the wall, shards spraying all over the place with one striking him across the cheek. Joey automatically trailed the direction of the bottle and found his dad at the end of the room.

"You...you only have one job and that's to take care of the house—and you can't even do _that."_

"My bad." The blond long understood that arguing wouldn't help. "I'll fix something right now…" However, before he could elude the room, a hand grabbed the back of his hair and yanked him back.

"You think you can just come and fix things whenever you want? Where the hell do you go off getting this demeanor?"

'_Dammit, that freaking hurts._' Joey gripped his father's wrist in an attempt to loosen it. "Shit, I'm sorry okay—so let go of my hair already! I Just forgot—geez dad were you drinking again?!"

His dad finally let go. "I don't have to report anything to you…"

"Che." It hated him to see his only family like this, but he couldn't trace back to when things spiraled so out of control the last half decade or so. Joey went into the kitchen to prepare dinner and recalled the scratch on his cheek that was beginning to sting.

* * *

Joey decided to take a detour after school the next day and crossed a construction site that was on hiatus. The area was open with piles of metal girders and a half finished building dead in the center of it. For the past few weeks, the teen had discovered this place and sometimes snuck in to clear his mind and get some solitude. He would much prefer a beach or a lake side and watch the ocean waves, but the shore was miles away from where he lived. He heaved a sigh. It would be just great to run away. He'd miss his friends, but sometimes the blond truly felt like dropping his school bag and running as fast as he could—somewhere far, far away. He'd take his little sister with him if he even knew where his sister was.

The teen was snapped out of his thoughts when he witnessed a couple of men drag a kid into the abandoned building.

'_Eh?'_ The blond was yet a distance away from the building, but his instincts told him to run after them. In hindsight, maybe that wasn't the most efficient way to deal with a kidnapping but, meh, his guts were more important in the moment.

"What do you want?!" A child's voice exclaimed, trembling negligibly. "You caught the wrong person!"

The entrance doors had no lock but were guarded by two men. Hence the blond used one of the hollow window dots to sneak in instead, when he found the opportunity. As soon as he did, the teen struck the guy holding the kid hard with his school bag from his behind.

"E-Eh…no way, Joey?! What are _you_ doing here?"

"Where did this brat come from?!" One of the men claimed. "Get him!"

"Huh? Mokuba? Don't worry, you can thank me later." The elder ignorantly grinned like he had the entire situation under control and turned his attention towards the men who were ready to charge at him.

Mokuba couldn't help thinking, _'…he's still trying to act cool—will he even make it alive from here?_'

While the teen was being ruffed up in a one against three fight, the kid took the chance to secretly alert Kaiba corp.

"What do you think you're doing runt?!" The fourth guy that was previously struck yanked the kid's collar.

"Wa—Nothing!"

"Hey, lay off the kid! Why don't you fight someone your own size!" Joey called out from his end, but his split attention earned him a punch. "Dammit ya guys don't know when 't give up! Who are ya takin' orders from anyway?!" He kicked one of them away.

**To Be Continued…**

Very bold, Joey lol.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer in first chapter.

_**Chapter 2: **_

While Joey tried his hardest to push the men off, Kaiba Corp. almost immediately received the emergency text from Mokuba. The company sent enforcements as soon as possible and Seto ordered his personal helicopter to be launched. He dumped all the papers in his hand and was filled with rage as well as concern as he scurried out of his office.

The helicopter's loud howls and powerful wind waves raided the entire construction site. "Shit!" The men curse out, recognizing the back up. Kaiba hardly waited for the helicopter to land and jumped out as the aircraft neared the ground. The guards infiltrated the area and ran towards the unfinished building with their weapons.

"Dammit! This is all your fault runt!" One of the men hoisted a wooden rod and raised it up high. Mokuba watched in horror as he gripped his phone.

"Mokuba!" Joey called out, running towards him.

"Mokuba!" Seto cried around the same time as he followed behind the guards who pushed the entrance doors open in time to catch a glimpse of someone getting hit in the head. The body collapsed to the ground embracing a smaller body against itself, blood oozing right after it.

"Freeze!" The Kaiba Corp. bodyguards aimed their weapons with a stern warning and instantly marched in to arrest them all.

"Joey!" Mokuba screamed. Seto quickly ran towards the voice and apparently found his younger brother squished under the unconscious blond. The younger struggled up all the while holding on to his savior. "Joey?!" Tears began streaming down his cheeks, further terrified by the blood staining his shirt.

"Mokuba!" Seto's voice forced him to look up.

"S-seto! Quick! You have to help Joey! He's bleeding really badly—he's not waking up big bro…" The elder exhaled hard, Mokuba's tear stained and flustered state automatically putting him in a frenzy too.

"Who…?" '_Joey'_ wasn't exactly a name that was registered in his mind as his eyes surveyed the unruly blond in the other's small arms. He tried to peek a glance at his face and realized one thing. _'The one who idiotically challenged him the other day…_' "First of all, take a deep breath. I'll call emergency right away." And he did.

In no time the ambulance came and lifted him up on a stretcher. Mokuba only stood there and hugged his elder brother as he watched them take him away. "I'll make those guys pay so dearly..." The frowns on Seto's face were getting deeper and deeper as he patted the other's back.

"We have to go too." The ravenette insisted.

"We need to get you changed first then we'll head over." Mokuba was hesitant but nodded in agreement. Seto forced a smile, glad that he obliged but then looked back in the direction of the ambulance car. _'Really, what was wrong with him? Who would normally risk their own safety for a stranger?_' But even so, as much as he hated to admit it, he owed the other everything for saving his irreplaceable brother's life.

* * *

After the brothers cleaned up, they visited the hospital Joey was admitted with a fruit basket and flowers.

Joey opened his eyes to an unfamiliar white ceiling floor. "Did I die? Ow, ow, no this feels too real." He instinctively sat up on the bed. He felt his throbbing head as all the events from earlier flashed by. "Those bastards! What happened to them?!"

The door opened and the blond saw the two walk in. "Joey are you awake? How do you feel? We brought you stuff." Mokuba immediately paced over to Joey's side.

"Eh? Mokie? Head kinda hurts but I've been through worse." The blond took the flowers from the other. "Oh, pretty flowers."

"Look...um, I'm really sorry for what you got dragged into..."

"It can't be helped. If it was you, you'd be dead by now. Aren't you glad I took the hit for ya." He grinned, surprising the other.

"Normal people wouldn't be glad about that." Seto stated in a matter-of-fact way and made his presence known.

Joey growled at him as he stood by the door. "You…don't start looking down on me—we still need to have a rematch. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Yeah I'd like to see you beat me in that state."

"_Bro_." The ravenette gave him a look.

"I know Mokuba."

"_Bro_? Wait you're his brother? The CEO of Kaiba Corp. is your brother?" Mokuba nodded to that. "Geez is that the thanks I get—well just you know I really wasn't doing it for you."

Seto was silent as he stared at the blond and formulated the right words in his head. It was clear from the look of his face there were gears working in his head. "It doesn't matter who it was for."

"Huh?"

"What matters more than anything is that Mokuba is safe and that wouldn't have been possible without your interference…and while it's difficult for me to say—I have to thank you for that." Joey stared back at him dazed.

'_Whoa. This didn't feel right. No, it felt too right. If you just take this guy's arrogance away, he has to be the most eloquent and civilized person out there_.' He snapped out of his introversions when he noticed cobalt blue eyes gazing straight at him, to the point where he had to shift his eyes away. It was odd, but his heart was beating consciously, feeling like he was truly confronting the CEO of the biggest company in the world. "Uh…yeah, that…" He swallowed hard, in search for his voice. "Geez, don't start acting all cool now, I can't call ya an asshole then."

"Hmph. Don't forget your place."

Joey's vein popped out again. '_Way to go, for rubbing that in_. _Seriously, was that necessary? Would it kill him to keep that image a little longer?'_ "If ya feel so indebted—which I wouldn't blame ya—then ya _could_ do one favor…"

"What's that?" Mokuba answered instead.

"Well…ya see, I was meaning 't buy that recent duel disk you guys just released…" The blonde explained as he scratched his cheek.

"Seriously?" The word may have sounded harsher than intended as it left the brunette's lips.

"Oh, come on big bro, we can afford to give out one for free right? Right?"

"Yes, I suppose we can. Anyhow I don't have so much time to kill, so if you'll excuse me." On his way out, he happens to hear Mokuba's voice again, thanking him again.

"But really Joey, thanks a lot, what you did was irrational, but you were a true hero out there." The blond was touched until he felt a pang of something else in his chest that made him grin sadly as he ruffled the kid's hair. Was this what it was like having a younger sibling?

"Ya know your brother may be the coldest and biggest jerk of a character I've ever met—" Seto was ready to charge back in there upon hearing that but stopped at the next words. "—but you're lucky to have an older brother who's willing to do anything to protect ya." He inevitably hugged the preteen. '_What would Serenity and his relation be like right now if she was here?_'

"Joey?" Mokuba questioned as the other wasn't releasing him.

"Ah, sorry about that—you just reminded me of my little sis for a moment there, haha."

"You have a sister?"

"Er yeah, but I haven't met since our parents divorced, back when we were kids."

"Oh, sorry." The ravenette didn't know how else to respond but understood his pain.

"Nah it's 'kay. That's why I said you were lucky." The blond's gaze dropped to his knees and Seto saw sadness behind it even if he was apathetic. He quietly left after that.

"Hey, can I get your phone number or email? So, we can send you the new duel disk?"

"Yeah sounds great! Ah, my phones in my bag." He pointed and the younger gave it to him. The two exchanged phone numbers at once.

"Then we'll let you know as soon as it's ready."

"Can't wait~ thanks kiddo."

* * *

A few days later, Joey was standing by the school gates and received a text from his new friend. Mokuba was asking whether they should ship the duel disk or if he wanted to stop by Kaiba Corp. to pick it up. The blond pondered about it _'…pick it up, huh? A once in a lifetime opportunity to go inside KC. I bet once I'm in, I could even convince them to give me a tour. Heh, he can bet all his friends would be jealous as hell_.'

"Hey wanna catch a bite somewhere—!" Tristen called out, approaching the teen.

"Sorry Tristen, later!"

"Huh, where is _he_ rushing to?"

* * *

The teen initially had an issue getting past security but once they called Mokuba, everything was settled and he was allowed entrance. He was directed to the elevator first and foremost to the floor where duel disks were pretested and stacked before shipment. The blond had his face planted on the glass elevators the entire time before he reached the floor.

"Whoa... I must be dreamin'!"

"No, you're not." Mokuba met up with him.

"I don't know which one to pick."

"They're all the same." The younger chuckled. "Can you pack one for him?" Mokuba instructed one of the employees.

"This must be my lucky day. Thanks." The elder said, taking the box.

"Is that all?"

"Well, I was wonderin', ya mind if I give myself a tour?"

"Um, okay, I guess that should be fine, as long as you don't touch anything.

"Got it." Joey saluted and showed himself out.

'_I hope that's okay..._' Mokuba was second guessing his decision.

* * *

Joey looked around and took selfies of himself on various floors. He was ready to embark on the next floor and pressed the elevator button to go up. Caught up in his own excitement, as soon as the doorbell beeped, he entered hastily, not waiting for the other person exiting and nearly bumping into the tall figure. It was Seto Kaiba!

"What are _you_ doing here?" Kaiba was just as surprised to see him.

'_That was close_.' The teen suddenly felt cautious and small in front of him. "Picking up the duel disk—of course." He didn't know why he averted his eyes.

"_Is that right?"_ Seto wanted to say but instead remarked: "If you're done then leave already. This isn't a playground."

**2 minutes later.**

"Why are you still following me?" The elder halted in his steps irritated by the blond who still followed him.

"Eh? I don't know...I mean aren't ya gonna give me a tour?" Joey innocently explained.

"Not applicable even in your dreams."

"Looks like a tour guide isn't your best suite."

"Neither is babysitting so get lost."

Joey got angry for a split second but shocked the other when he started laughing instead. "Really, where did that person from that day go? Man, the personalities are way off."

"I fail to see how that's funny." The younger continued to chuckle. It was weird, all they did was bicker but why did they feel closer? He wasn't the only who thought that their distance was truncating. Kaiba, who was ignorantly walking ahead, couldn't help but stare weirdly at the teen who was actually _'laughing'_ in his presence. Well he had already registered the teen as abnormal the moment he met him but there was a deeper nostalgic feeling awakening in him at that blond's frank behavior.

"But wow look at all those Blue Eyes White Dragons, damn ya really have it hard for that monster." Joey changed the subject as he recognized silver dragon shaped jets outside in the KC facility. Seto didn't need to respond to that. "Ya think ya have a spare card?"

"Don't even think about it." As if Seto was going to give one of his Blue Eyes White Dragon card away just like that to a third rate dueler.

"Hey, hey, I don't want it for myself! I promised someone I'd get it for them…"

"Then you shouldn't keep promises you can't keep."

Joey sighed out loud. '_This guy is just impossible to get along with_.' He gave up trying.

"Are you finished touring yet? Or should I call someone to show you the way out?" Seto asked with a smirk, holding opening one of his office doors.

"Tch. No thanks, I'll leave you and your wicked mansion." The blond turned on his heels.

**To Be Continued... **

If you'd like to check out the cover image: type 'Zerocooldemon deviantart' on google.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer in first chapter.

_**Chapter 3:**_

Seto was working late on his computer one evening, until he took a mental break and closed his eyes for a bit.

_'Red Eyes Black Dragon_.' A voice randomly hit him. He blinked his eyes open and thought about that monster. Out of sheer curiosity, he realized he had never seen that card since then. Since a long time ago, back at the orphanage. The brunette turned back to his computer and typed in the words: Red Eyes Black Dragon in his database.

"The Red Eyes Black Dragon was last seen in custody with Sara Wheeler. No current data is listed of who currently holds the card." His computer spoke.

'_No, he knew who held it. It was that boy._' The boy whose face appeared as a blond haze in his memory. '_Useless_.' He told himself. This was one of the only times he felt close to incapable, but then again, the card wasn't too significant anyway. Though, it would have been ideal to obtain more information about it and add it to his vast database. It felt insufficient if _the_ Kaiba Corp was lacking on data. There were no other physical copies of it either.

"_If there's a Red Eyes Black Dragon, then there has to be a Blue Eyes White Dragon—I know it!"_ Another snippet of his memory casually raided his brain for a split second.

'_... another pointless memory.' _

* * *

The day was Sunday, and Joey was lounging on the couch in his shorts and simple white T-shirt eating a bag of chips. He had to go out and buy groceries sooner or later, but at the moment felt too lazy to do so. Instead he watched as his dad come out of the bedroom and walk to the kitchen with an almost empty bottle of liquor. '_He must have been drinking again_.' The blond thought to himself. Over the years his addiction only became worse and addictions were miserable to counteract.

"What the hell are you looking at? Are you looking down on me with that face?"

'_Oops. Was I making a face again_?' Joey rolled his eyes. "Sigh, dad quit drinking." The next thing he knew he was a ducking a bottle that smashed and shattered against the wall behind him.

"Now you're gonna talk back to me!"

"Che," Joey's soul was alarmed. '_Great, now his peace was ruined. He'd better get out before he became a punching bag again._' The teen quickly slipped on a pair of slippers and left the house. Silence was a better answer to all that madness anyway. He knew that from experience.

He continued to walk until he came across a public park attached to a soccer field. He decided to pass the time in solitude and not call any of his friends, yet. The breeze was nice as it rolled past his hair and the sky was bright without any traces of clouds.

The blond shut his eyes to take a deep breath in and opened them to find a tall brown head bobbing somewhere in the distance. "Eh! Kaiba?!" '_No, wait, why was he thinking about him? It could be anyone with brown hair. He didn't want to spoil his mood_.' The teen let out a groan. '_But _the_ Seto Kaiba in a children's park, no way._' Now his curiosity was killing him, provoking him to sneakily follow behind the man. He hid his head behind one of the water fountains and studied the man's features more closely. _'Nope, it was just an average tall guy with brown hair. What was he thinking?_'

"Joey?" A familiar voice called out with a hint of amusement.

The blond rotated his head to find "Mokuba? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, we hardly have time so since it's Sunday, I kinda forced him to come somewhere normal for a walk."

Joey stared at him with surprise. "Him?"

"Mokuba, stop running like that—tsk." Seto joined their circle and instantly frowned as he recognized the blond. Joey eyed the CEO from top to bottom. He was wearing a plain dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and shirt tucked into black dress pants.

"Hey why do I get the feeling I'm naturally hated?" The blond mumbled.

"We run into each other too much, don't we?" Seto flatly stated.

"Don't look at me, it's not like I want us to bump into each other either."

Meanwhile, Mokuba glanced at one then the other. _'At least they agree on one thing. Isn't there a way for them get along?_' "Joey do you come here often?"

"I used to a lot, when I was a kid I guess."

"Then what's there to do for fun here?"

"Tons, though... they're mostly for kids… hey I've been wonderin' since ya guys decided to come out, shouldn't ya have worn something looser?"

"Hm? Why? I like this stuff." Mokuba argued, wearing his jeans and long T-shirt.

"Splendid, now I'm babysitting two kids." The brunette truly wanted to leave the situation as soon as possible.

* * *

"Ya guys wanna get some ice cream? The truck guy is my old friend." Joey pointed, while he was touring the park for them.

"Seto can we?" Mokuba eagerly asked.

"Mokuba if you want ice cream we can simply buy a box—"

"Pssh, what's the fun in that?" The blond cut him off.

"Yeah!" The ravenette seconded.

"Nothing beats street cones." Joey encouraged the other further.

"Please shut up." Seto stroked his forehead, hoping he wouldn't get a headache by the end of this. Except for him, they were already running towards the ice cream truck.

Joey returned with two cones in his hand, one chocolate and one vanilla while Mokuba was licking his strawberry cone. The brunette waited patiently for the two, leaning against a metal pole, not aware of all the stares he was attracting.

"Here ya go, got ya one too. You're welcome." The blond held out the vanilla cone for him.

"I didn't ask for one."

"Just take it. Not everyone's a jerk." The younger practically forced it in his hand.

Seto frowned. "This won't get you any more free devices."

Joey involuntarily blushed at that. "I wasn't askin' for one either—geez!"

"Just take it big bro, it's now that bad." Mokuba finally intervened.

"Really, Mokuba. Don't get my brother into cheap stuff."

"Sorry but this cheap stuff actually tastes good, okay." The blond licked away. The taller teen only stares back at the cone. '_How was he supposed to eat this again?_ _How long had it been since he had an ice cream cone?' _

All the while Mokuba finished his. "I'm going to go wash my hands."

Joey nodded finishing his ice cream cone as well and licking his fingers. When he glanced back towards the brunette, he noticed a hefty amount of ice cream melting over his hands onto his wrist as the majority of it sat untouched. "Hey!" He cried out. "What are you doin'? Its melting! Don't just go and waste it." The teen didn't have a tissue or anything and purely acted on instinct—grabbing the other's hand and wiping the cream off with his free hand. He brought that hand to his mouth and licked it.

The blond licked his lips until he realized what he had just done, one of his sticky hand still holding on to Kaiba's. _'Aw crap! I'm dead for real now._' His thoughts screamed as he watched the elder stare speechlessly at him. The blond was too used to doing that with his friends.

"U-uh look my bad, it was just meltin' and kinda outta habit…" Joey's voice was gradually becoming a murmur. Meanwhile, Seto was still staring at the part of his bare skin the blond had boldly wiped the ice cream off. After what seemed like a long moment, he finally met eyes with the other. However, not for long as he hmp'ed and threw the ice cream into the nearest dumpster.

Joey gawked unbelievingly. "Ah...ah...you bastard! If ya were gonna throw it out ya could've just given it to me!" Steam was coming out of his ears.

The brunette merely kept walking until he met up with Mokuba. "Come on we're leaving."

"Huh? Okay... bye Joey!" The young pre-teen wasn't slow to pick up that the blond looked frustrated. "He looks pretty mad... did you say something again?"

Seto oddly found himself smirking, "Why would I?" Somehow it was amusing to see the other's idiotic reactions.

* * *

"Aw~ look at him, doesn't he look cute when he's trying so hard to concentrate?" Tristen teased as they were in between classes. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Back off Tristen, I'm tryin' to copy some homework, can't ya see?" Joey responded without looking up from his desk.

"Oh, that one? I already did it."

"EH?! You did it? And you didn't even tell me?!"

"Well you never asked."

"Why you!" The blond dropped all pens and began to wrestle the other. That's when the bell began ringing. "I'll deal with you later mister—now go to your class already." Tristen had to take a few extra classes this semester so decided to head out.

When Joey heard footsteps near his desk again, he demanded: "I told ya to go away."

"You're Joey Wheeler, aren't you?" An unfamiliar voice caught his attention. He glanced up to find a short teen with wavy indigo hair.

"Huh?"

"Joey Wheeler, I challenge you to a card duel." The short teen stated.

"What? Who are ya again?"

"That doesn't matter. Will you battle me or not?"

"Fine, you asked for it. If it's a battle ya wan't then it's a battle you'll get. But what's the rush?"

"Today after school. Don't be late." The teen demanded and went back to his seat.

'_What the hell? What was the deal with him? Was such a guy even in his class before? And why the sudden urge to duel him?_' Everything about the teen was off, and yet the blond still went along with it.

* * *

After school, the blond said his goodbyes early and met his new friend at the gates. The short teen took him to the backside of the school, into an alley way and stood twenty feet away from him. Was it just Joey, or did he seem half possessed?

The teens revealed their duel disks and loaded their decks. "Let's duel!" They yelled in unison.

They were halfway through the match, with Joey having the upper hand. '_This would be a piece of cake,'_ he thought. His Red Eyes Black Dragon was sitting somewhere high in his deck and he couldn't wait to finish his move with that. Unfortunately, what the teen didn't anticipate was the smoke screen trap card played by his opponent. But no big deal, right?

After the smoke engulfed the entire arena, the blond couldn't make out his or his opponent's monster. He didn't even realize when a clammy hand pushed him from behind and swiped his deck of cards. "Wait—what the heck?!" His eyes immediately followed the figure run into the smoke, spilling cards at every step as if he was in search for one alone. "Hey! Get back here! You're so dead meat when I catch ya!" Joey screamed as he ran after the short teen. The blond wasn't so lucky when the teen crossed a busy road in the middle of a green light. '_No!'_ Joey thought when he was truncated by the zooming cars. '_Shit! He's getting away_!' As soon as the road gave him a sign, he hopped forward and ducked a car or two, but lost all trail of the other teen. '_This wasn't happening to him...what could he have possibly wanted?_' The teen back tracked and began picking up all the cards that were sprawled here and there. He sat down and counted.

'_No_.' The teen dreadfully stared at his deck. '_No. Not that one. That card was his treasure. It was the only thing his mother left him with..._'

The Red Eyes Black Dragon was missing.

**To Be Continued... **


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer in first chapter.**

_**Chapter 4: **_

Joey hardly slept that night. He had searched the area once more, earlier that evening but found no traces of the teen. The next day, he waited for the other to come to class. _'Absent—of course.'_ He tried asking Yugi and the others about their classmate but none of them had ever heard of or seen of the person Joey was describing. At this point, the blond was highly frustrated.

"Why? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah...look um, I'm not feeling too good—I'm gonna head back sooner." Joey told as he packed his bag and draped it over his shoulder.

"Right now? We still have two periods left." Tea asked with a surprised look.

"Yeah. I'm out. See ya guys tomorrow." The blond up and left.

"He's definitely acting weird. Hope everything is okay back at home." Yugi worried.

Joey had yet to decide if he wanted to tell his friends. In other words, did he want to involve them? They didn't know the person so far, so it wasn't as if they could help much, right?

The only thing the blond was able to catch a glimpse of was a symbol on his thief's neck. He found it to be a weird tattoo at first but since his motive seemed to be stealing the Red Eyes White Dragon, there must be a deeper meaning to it. The blond needed a person who could easily track anyone; who had the resources and data to locate cards and holders... Seto Kaiba flashed in his mind once. '_Ugh... if only it was that easy_.' Before he made a fool of himself in front of Kaiba, he decided to stop by Yugi's grandpa's face first. '_Hey, he also had a vast knowledge on cards and symbols...'_

Joey stood outside the game shop and took a deep breath. '_Okay, I'm going to handle this pretty calmly. I'm gonna walk in, say hi and ask if he has any idea regardin' this symbol or if he'd seen my thief.' _

The door to the game stop chimed and Solomon Muto looked up. "Oh hi Joey," Th old man began but nearly bounced when the blond slammed his palm on the desk.

"Gramps! I need yer help!"

"Um...yes...?"

"Do you know what this symbol means?!" Joey rummaged through his bag and took out a hand drawing of a symbol.

"Hm?" Gramps looked long and hard on the poorly sketched drawing. "No, I don't think I've ever seen anything like this, sorry."

The blond whined. "Nah it's okay...Or! How about this—have ya seen a kid about this tall, wavy indigo hair?"

"Nope, sorry again." The elder shook his head.

* * *

The teen walked out of the shop feeling more helpless than when he walked in. Looks like Seto Kaiba was his only option, and he had made up his mind to do it. He'd do anything to get the card back.

Joey went straight to Kaiba Corp., stopping by the guards first and asking to see the CEO himself.

"Do you have an appointment? What's the last name?" The guard asks.

"Wheeler. Uh, no I don't have an appointment... I just wanted to talk to him."

"I'm sorry then we cannot let you through. Please leave."

"No! I mean, come on, it's really important—and I'm not some stranger. I met Kaiba once or twice outside. He knows me, just call him."

"I'm asking you to leave."

"Oh my God..." Joey wailed as he turned away and looked through his contacts. He called up Mokuba and hoped the teen would pick up.

"Hello?" Mokuba answered.

"Mokie! It's me, Joey! I need a _huge_ favor! Where are you right now?"

"I'm at Kaiba Corp., why?"

"Perfect! Me too! Look I really have to speak to your brother, but the guard won't let me through. I promise it's important. Can ya please let me in?"

"...I'm really going to get reprimanded by my brother for this later."

"I owe you big time! Thanks!" Joey hung up and waited. Soon enough the guard received a call and nodded his head.

"You may pass. Mr. Kaiba's office is on the highest floor." The guard told.

"Got it!" The blond ran for it.

The teen made it to the last floor and looked around for Kaiba's office. Luckily for him it wasn't very hard to find. After knocking, the younger hoped he wasn't in the middle of a meeting.

Seto was standing by the glass wall, not anticipating any guests. "Come in." He was curious to see who it was. The blond peeked his head in.

"Um, hey?"

"You?" Shock was written all over his face. "What the hell is this? Who let you in?" It was soon replaced with a grimace.

"This is important, I swear. I really need your help." Joey acted the sincerest he could.

"I don't have time for this, get out now before I call someone." The brunette averted his face.

"Kaiba please!" Joey instantly knelt on one knee, hands plastered on the carpeted floor. That gesture caught the other off-guard. "I really...need your help...I'm begging ya." He mumbled through a clenched jaw.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I said I really need your help. I don't have anyone else to turn ta." The blond shut his eyes and spoke.

"Wow, this must be highly significant—for you to beg like this." Seto crossed his arms.

"I need your help in locating a card—"

"Seriously, a card? Don't waste my time. And here I thought—"

"No, I'm serious! It may seem like just a card to ya but to me that card is my everything! I had it for as long as I can remember, okay? That card is the only thing my mother left me with... It's just like what your Blue Eyes White Dragon is to ya. And as much as I hate ta say it you're the only one that has all the intel and ability ta find it."

Seto frowned. Throwing the 'Blue Eyes White Dragon' trick almost worked on him. Nonetheless, he felt like he could relate to what the other was saying. "You're forgetting the main point here. I have better things to attend to—what advantage would I have helping you?"

"… I don't have money but ya probably don't need any anyway…I'll do whatever ya want…" Joey heard a scoff. "I mean it! I may not look it but I can do a lot!" The taller teen continued to stare holes into him. "Oh! Actually, I also have this...I was hopin' to get information on this too since this is what took it from me." Joey lifted himself and took out a paper from pocket. Unfolding it, the teen showed the other the symbol.

'_That_—' The brunette was astonished to see Joey having any association with that. He had been trying to track that gang for weeks now. '_And now, this mut claimed that his card was taken by this gang. If anything, he could use Joey as bait..._'

"Kaiba please..." Seto stared into warm brown eyes, full of helplessness.

While the other was silent, the blond dropped his head, ready to surrender. "Where did you last see it?" He didn't believe the question at first and shot his head up.

"Huh—oh ah—at school—no I mean the alley right behind our school. This kid wanted me ta battle him and he just snatched it."

"So, you practically lose in every way possible." The brunette couldn't stifle himself.

"Very funny! So, you actually agree to help me?"

"Spare me the obvious." Seto rolled his eyes and Joey secretly laughed at that. "Hand me the symbol, this ought to speed things up. At least you're not so useless."

'_This wannabe...'_ The younger felt like yelling but nevertheless was very grateful. "Do you know anything about this symbol?"

"One of our team members reported it, but they weren't able to draw the most accurate version of it. In the end I didn't get anywhere. But at least yours looks trustworthy." The elder explained. Joey found himself smiling at the trivial compliment. "I'm going to send this to our staff for scanning and search." He took longs strides towards the door but stopped when a pair of hands held his arm back.

He rotated his head in bewilderment to see the blond gripping him with his head low. "Er…thanks a lot for doin' this…it really means a lot ta me—I mean really a lot. I appreciate it." Seto quite truthfully, didn't know how to respond to such a situation. Unfortunately, he couldn't tease the other since the thanks felt too sincere. And…strangely enough, he didn't hate it either. "Whatever." He waved him off.

* * *

Side story:

"Hold on, I'm dying to know, how on earth did you get inside in the first place?" Seto turned around and asked before he officially stepped outside the door.

Joey gulped. "Uh, I'm already in...why do ya wanna know now...?

"Clearly because that person will be fired for not doing their job properly."

"Well isn't that a relief then, you won't be firing this one." Joey said, causing the elder to raise a brow. "I actually called Mokuba directly, heh."

"Unbelievable."

**To Be Continued...**

Hey~ I know this chapter is a little shorter, but I'll be back soon. Thanks for reading~ Happy 2020.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer in first chapter.**

**Chapter 5:**

To Joey's surprise, after he had passed the symbol on to Kaiba, he wasn't really needed anymore. Kaiba ordered him to go home and 'not get in the way.'

Either way, it had been a week since that meeting and Joey was growing anxious by the day. He couldn't contact the other directly since he didn't have his phone number and he doubted Kaiba just handed his personal cell to anyone. He was at home pacing about in the living room when he heard his phone buzz. Caller ID: Mokuba.

"Hello?!" The blond eagerly answered.

"Joey? Hey! My brother wants you to meet at xxx street. Now."

"On my way!" Joey didn't even care why, he grabbed his thin hoodie and ran out in his slippers. It was late in the afternoon but wasn't too cold, so the blond wore a simple white T-shirt with jean shorts. When he arrived at the destination, he witnessed Kaiba's men arresting some men in robes wearing the same symbol he had drawn a week ago. "Kaiba!" The teen called out as he ran towards them.

"...you look like you've been living off the streets."

"Argh, who cares about that anyw—ah! It's him!" the blond cut himself off when he happened to recognize one of the men in cuffs. He automatically ran towards the kid that stole his card that day. "You little punk! Where is it!? Speak now or else you're saying hi to my fist!"

"I- I don't have it..."

"Say what?!" The younger yanked the other by the collar.

"Is that what you're possibly looking for?" Seto's voice casually pointed out from behind. The teen found the brunette pointing to the ground, towards a card three feet away from where they were standing. Joey decided to release his enemy and pick up the card, his expression changing from a scowl to sparkling delight.

"I found it! The one and only!" Joey began cheering, holding his card up in the air. "Aw man, I thought I was going to die without it!"

"Save it." The brunette sighed and walked over with curiosity as his men took the others away. "So, what's this infamous card that is equally valuable to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon." He leaned over the blond's shoulder to catch a glimpse of this card and was momentarily stunned. There was no mistake, that _was_ the one and only Red Eyes Black Dragon.

"Can't believe I'm sayin' this but it's all thanks to you!" The blond grinned as he looked at the elder who was still blatantly fixated on the card in his hands.

"Why do you have that?"

"What do ya mean? It's mine, I've always had it."

"Since when?" Seto further inquired. If he wasn't mistaken, he had seen that card before—a long time ago. If the other claimed that this was the original version of the card, then there should only be one other person who has it—that kid he met at the orphanage once.

"Like I said, for forever! But I don't know…seven, eight years old maybe...?"

"Is that right…" Gears of confusion and reality were still working in Seto's head as he tried to process answers. That is, until they heard a honk.

"Looks like yer ride's here." Joey pointed to a limousine waiting by the street with Mokuba waving inside. The brunette silently walked towards it and sat in, mind not fully in the present. "Weird, he didn't say anything after that... Oh well, all that matter is that I've got my Red eyes back!" The blond kissed the card once.

While Seto tried to make sense of things, he was suddenly blasted with memories of the distant past. Memories he was sure he had forgotten along the way.

"_I think it's superb! I want my own Red Eyes too! Fine if you don't like it then ya can get a Blue Eyes. Haha yeah that sounds better for ya, your eyes are blue too!" _

'_What? The kid from that time, the one who introduced the abstract idea of a Blue Eyes White Dragon— that had become the purpose of his life... is Joey Wheeler?_' He had a hard time believing that. However, there was no doubt that was the same Red Eyes. More than rediscovering the card, he was shocked by the owner of it.

"_Fine. If I find it, I'll get one for ya okay?"_ Seto covered his face feeling embarrassed when another fragment of his memory surfaced itself.

He felt troubled yet again when a more recent flashback conveniently hit him:

_"Ya think ya have a spare card—hey, hey, I don't want it for myself, I just promised someone I'd give it to them…" Joey spoke._

The brunette hated to admit, but it was beginning to make sense now. _'That idiot actually remembered a promise from that long ago. What a pointless promise, he could swear Joey had no idea where that kid possibly was since they never ran into each other again. It had been ages since they met but he still wanted to get him that card?_' Seto wasn't sure how to feel as new unfamiliar emotions evolved in him. The feeling was too flattering, like a child being spoiled unconditionally.

"Seto are you okay?" Mokuba broke his introspections.

"I'm fine Mokuba." The elder responded in his usual stoic tone of voice, looking out the window.

* * *

For the next 24 hours, the brunette's mind was filled with a certain blond. Perhaps not filled per say, but by the end of the next day, he noticed that during every little break when he allowed his mind to wander, a variety of the blond's expressions would torture him one after the other. The first one was when he smiled so gracefully and thanked him. The fact that someone other than Mokuba was so genuine and pure and made him feel 'wanted,' set him off guard. The second was of the unruly blond child who smiled so innocently with a ray of sunshine over his head, covering most of his face. Then he recalled the teen's angry face, shouting at him and calling him a jerk or bastard or even asshole. Next was his determination, jumping on to their targets with eyes fixed towards his goal to retrieve his Red Eyes. Lastly, was a secret countenance he encountered only once, during the time the blond spoke of his lost sibling. The normally jovial eyes averted with pain and remorse dancing in them.

_'Geez this guy makes too many faces_,' Seto thought with a frown and closed eyes. Those were only a few compared to the others he made: when they first met, or when he was staring at the car window in wonder—not to mention when he was laughing at Seto for being a bad tour guide. Okay, Seto had to stop himself there. He literally fought a very faint blush at the edge of his cheek, as he caught himself thinking so deeply of the insignificant other. _'I thought I would have to be insane to think about him in my spare time but...sigh, let's call it a day._'

* * *

It had been two days since Joey reacquired his Red Eyes and life had gone back to normal. It was a regular school day when the teen walked out the gates after dismissal. As he walked past the gates, he couldn't fail to notice a black limousine standing right outside. The backseat passenger window rolled down, and a familiar head popped out.

"Yo!" Mokuba waved.

"Mokie? What's up? Who are ya looking for?" The blond crossed the street in his direction.

"Heh, you."

"_Me_?"

"Do you have your Red Eyes on you?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"Good, then come on—my bro wants you in his office."

"The prince summoned _me_? Why?"

"You'll find out." That convinced the blond to get in and be dropped off in front of the Kaiba Corp. building.

"Go to the second last floor and the guards will lead the way from there." Mokuba instructed and drove off. Joey gingerly entered and obliged. '_This felt like a scam, what was going on? Knowing Kaiba, he probably wanted some sort of reimbursement.' _

The blond took in a sharp breath and knocked on the door. "You're late, come in." He opened the door to find Kaiba in a room with nothing but keyboards and a massive wall sized computer screen.

"Um, am I going to die soon or something…?" The teen muttered.

"Excuse me?" The brunette raised a confused brow.

"No, I mean, why did ya call me here again?"

"Just sit down first." Seto was standing over a large rotating chair which he spun towards the teen. Joey took a seat and rotated himself towards the holographic keyboard.

"I feel so royal already." The younger joked.

"This computer contains all the cards in our database as well as all information pertaining to them. The Red Eyes Black Dragon hasn't been updated since this man held the card." Seto opened the profile next to the Red Eyes and a picture of an old man displayed itself. "That's why we need you to fill in some information and register it as your card. Any questions?"

"Ah! That's gramps!"

"What?"

"That's my grandpa—mom's dad. I can't believe he's in your database too."

'_Was he not listening to a word I said?_' The brunette thought annoyed. '_So, his grandfather was the one who had it before—makes sense.' _"Anyhow," Seto bent over the teen and hit a few buttons. Joey couldn't help but notice the proximity of their bodies as he looked up at him.

'_He had very sharp features, no wonder he looked handsome._ _Too bad he's such a total jerk though_.' The blond glanced away feeling envious.

"I need you to place your thumb down on that square." Kaiba ordered. Joey stared at a fluorescent square that lit up in a portion of the keypad.

"Like this? Ya know it feels really odd without the ink."

"Center it more." Seto insisted. "I swear, Mokuba can do a better job than you."

That was quick to piss the younger off. "Oh yeah, you can't expect me to do everything perfect on the first try—then show me how!"

"How useless." The brunette sighed and wrapped his long fingers over the other's rough hand. Joey wasn't expecting him to oblige.

_Ba-dump_. The blond's expression froze when he noticed his heart skip a beat. _'Aw crap what was that?! Did his heart just skip a beat…no, no, no, he wasn't a pervert or anything—it was just that he wasn't expecting it... yeah…plus the other's hand felt nice and comforting.'_ Meanwhile, Seto singled out his thumb and guided him to the center of the square, pressing it down for two seconds before it registered.

As soon as that was over, the taller teen went back to hitting a couple of keyboard keys and inputting data. Joey continued to sit and watch, secretly holding his hand. _'It felt really strange. He was a guy, like other guys. I find pleasure in holding smaller, gentler hands of women. When a guy and girl held hands, the compatibility was the sweetest thing, But, here… it was almost as if their hands locked on perfectly_.' The realization put him in a momentary shock.

"Don't zone out on me. Enter your last name and address here, or do I have to hold your hand for that as well?" The brunette smirked.

The blond shook his head, fired up again. "I'll do it!"

* * *

"Damn that actually took a while, if I knew you were gonna take my picture, I would've dressed up a bit." Joey leaned back in the chair feeling mentally exhausted.

"Quit complaining, you're fine."

The younger didn't let that slide. _'He said fine. Wait, fine as in, I look fine, or fine as in it's fine even if I look ugly. Ugh…_' Anyhow, the entire process took about an hour. Since he came right after school, he was beginning to feel tired and hungry to say the least.

"So, are we done?"

"Yes. I'm just saving." Kaiba answered without looking away from the screen.

'_What food should I grab on the way back? I wonder if Tristen is free..._' Joey mused. While he was deep in thought, Kaiba glanced from the corner of his eye and saw the blond quite relaxed in his presence.

_'Unruly blond hair… yeah maybe he had something like that. Looks like that hasn't changed at all_.' After he was finished on his end, the elder hovered over the blond, arms supported by the chair's arm rests. Joey stared back at him with wide eyes. "So, looks like a Blue Eyes White Dragon really does exist, doesn't it?"

That question changed the blond's expression to one of confusion. "Uh…yeah, it does?" '_Wasn't it too late to ask that, since he had a million Blue Eyes models._' "Anyways, then I'm out—" The blond excused himself, standing up but suddenly stopped when his stomach growled loudly.

The blond's face turned a shade of red. "Is that how far your tolerance goes?" The elder asked, mockery heavy in his voice.

"You're not the one attending school—!"

"Do you want to stay for lunch?"

Joey stared at the other speechlessly. '_What was going on? Who was this person asking him to stay?_'

"Oh, is that what you were expecting me to say?" Seto teased.

That was the last call. The blond slammed the door on his way out, stomping down the hall, out the Kaiba Corp. building with steam coming out of his ears. '_I'm going to freakin' kill that bastard! How dare he play with someone else's feelings_!'

**To Be Continued... **


End file.
